Nature. Mindfulness. Inspiration. Life.

It's a common plight of writers--of all artists, really: We never know with 100% certainty which work will resonate with people.

Which work will draw the "right kind" of reactions? ("Right kind" meaning positive, or anything the opposite of booing and throwing rotten tomatoes.) But more often than not, artistic work is met with the equivalent of chirping crickets: no real reaction at all.

Because the world is a very busy and crowded place, with a crazy glut of creative output. It's hard to make a noticeable ripple in the very large pond, especially with so many Kardashians taking selfies.

It should be enough just to create, right? To meet the elusive Muse, before she slips away on yet another badly timed vacation.

But I think we all (deep down) want to hear that we did a good job, at least now and then. At least on the things that really mean something to us.

It was over a year ago on a grey winter morning when I sat alone at the breakfast table, the words pouring right onto the page without effort. The blog post, called "All of a Sudden: Twelve", turned out to be a birthday gift for my son. I was pleased with how it turned out. My husband teared up while reading it. Most importantly, my son loved it, I think because he could really feel the love that helped create it.

And then, many months later, on a sunny summer morning, an email landed in my inbox. It was titled "Good news!" and it wasn't about a sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I had actually won something! The birthday post for my son had been kindly met with the exact opposite of crickets. Here's the official word: Announcing the BlogHer16 Voices of the Year Honorees.

So, for lack of a better way to say it: I'm honored to be honored! (Thank you so very much, BlogHer and Merck for Mothers.)

I've noticed something: It's the creative work that flows through us easily, like a sudden summer rainstorm, which feels the most rewarding. We feel so grateful after the long dry spell, the days of dry heat and almost ominous silence. With relief, we sit back and appreciate the rain.

About a month ago, I invited two local friends over to my house for dinner to thank them for their extraordinary support. Lisa and Meredith not only have taken all of my online photography courses (some courses more than once!), but they also recruited several of their friends to take the courses along with them. I think of them not only as loyal friends but as my unofficial marketing team, and I appreciate them even more because I've never once asked them for their (extremely generous) support.

As I was showing them around my house for a "photographic tour" (letting them see which pictures I've framed and how I've grouped the shots), I actually winced at some of my old photos hanging on the walls. Although the wince-worthy pictures have been hanging up for close to a decade, it was the first time in a long time that I really studied them.

"What was I thinking?!" I said, half to them and half to myself. "I've got to put up some better pictures!"

After the initial shock wore off, I realized "the wince reaction" was actually a good thing. It would be so much worse to look at my old work and think, "I've really gone downhill since then."

So without even knowing it, Lisa and Meredith helped me yet again that night. I teach other people how to take better pictures, but it's just as important that I grow creatively, too.

"Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow..." -- The Talmud

In equal parts, I love and hate the feeling of having too many projects going on at once.

On one hand: "Great! The ideas are churning!"

On the other: "Ohmystarspleasehelpme, I need a nap."

Because it takes time (of the rare, uninterrupted variety) and mental effort to get the ideas "out there", to give them shape. But if we're lucky, we get a lightning strike of a revelation. An "A-ha!" moment, as Oprah is so fond of saying.

I am a big list-maker of the "to-do" variety, and I've realized a few key things about myself. It's a sort of checklist for me to have a good, creative day:

Funnily enough for a person who used to be a marketing director (among other things), I cannot stand marketing myself. Although it comes with the territory in this internet age, telling people about my courses, my social media pages, my blog...ugh, the whole thing feels icky and "toot-your-own-horn-ish." Thankfully, I have the most supportive photography students a teacher could ask for, who spread the word for me on their own blogs and social media pages (such as this one, that one, and this one). Most of my students have some connection to a previous student, and I am so incredibly grateful for that. (It's like "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon", figuring out how students are connected.) SO: the less self-marketing I need to do, the more creative my day will be.

If I've gone a couple of days without picking up my camera, I get very, verrrrrrrry crabby. Especially if I've had to do "marketing-myself" things instead.

In the morning, it helps to read some poetry--any poetry. Or fiction of the poetic variety (see: Donna Tartt).

Many times I need silence, but when I don't, 8tracks.com is great for background music. In the search box where it reads "what kind of songs do you want to hear?", I type in "study" plus "instrumental" plus "cello" and it comes up with the perfect soundtracks for working, without the music jockeying for my attention.

I also require frequent cuddling breaks with Delilah. Listening to her rhythmic breathing, soft and measured...

If I'm really stuck, taking a walk does wonders. There's something about watching a lone hawk gliding overhead, or the mist of melting snow rising off the pavement, or a dog on a jaunty jog with its owner. I guess it's a kind of visual poetry.

If the real "meat" of the creative work isn't done by 1:00 pm, it's likely not going to happen that day, and it's best to move on to doing the laundry (woohoo!) or similar mundane tasks. (Strange how a former night owl has become such an early bird, at least creatively speaking.)

To take a big weight off of myself, I realized I am not "a blogger who teaches photography courses", but instead I am "a photography instructor who happens to have a blog." You wouldn't believe the amount of pressure that self-realization took off my shoulders! Refocusing my daily efforts has made all the difference for me.

Today is a good, creative day because I'm finishing this post at 12:43 pm (just in the nick of time) and I'm prepping to introduce a new photography course. If you're all signed up at my new monthly e-newsletter, "Writing with Light", do look out for the details and discounts. (If you're not signed up yet, you can still do it, in the right-hand column. If you're receiving this post by email subscription, click on the title of the post to get to the main blog and the "Writing with Light" sign-up.) Sorry, some self-marketing was necessary right there!

"Remember what you loved as a child. Often, our truest passions emerge in childhood, only to be squelched by real life pressures." -- Ruth Zive at The Muse

At the ripe old age of seven, I had my whole life all figured out--or so I thought. Our second grade teacher gave us an assignment, probably still the most common one for kids: Write an essay that answers the questions"What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?"

I wrote one sentence and turned in the paper right away, because I didn't even have to think about it--I was certain: "I want to be an artist because my mother is."

Strangely, the teacher didn't ask me to expand on it. She read it, scribbled an "A" on the paper, and handed it back to me with a smile. As far as she was concerned, I had answered the two questions sufficiently.

There was a lot more to my dream of being an artist than emulating my mother, who had a studio in our house where she taught children's art classes during the summer, and taught adults how to paint on Monday nights after dinnertime. My father was a painter, too, but not professionally. They both set me on my path, though. There was something about the creative process--making something out of nothing--that was magical to me.

When I think back on the things that I loved to do as a child--play the piano, get lost in a book, draw pictures of people and invent stories about them, take pictures of my ever-patient pets--I can still feel the appeal of each of those things. Each one is introspective yet liberating, requires imagination, and is largely solitary. Those things aren't for everyone, but they are definitely for me.

I went through a lot of career upheaval in my 20's and 30's--book publishing, magazine publishing, public relations, advertising--and I see now that I jumped from one thing to another because I wasn't following what I truly wanted to do, down to its distilled essence. Yes, they all had a creative whiff about them, but it wasn't pure creativity. It was creativity for the benefit of clients and commerce. (Plus, many of my career choices were based on how I could manage to afford New York City rent.)

I wish I had been more mindful then, able to step back and appraise my choices. But most of it was just necessary sloshing around in muddy puddles, growing up, figuring out what worked and what didn't, and learning to listen to myself. It's like twirling the dial of a combination lock and listening for the click that finally opens it, letting you know that you got all of the numbers right, in the correct order.

I think we all have a quiet power within us, a gentle voice that guides us to the things that feel right. But the world has become such an incredibly noisy place, it's often hard to hear the whispering of our truest selves.

I've said it before (in this post about sacred time, art journaling, and focusing) but I really do believe it bears repeating: Find a quiet place and be with your own thoughts on a regular basis. Phone off. Music off. Just you and a blank page. Ask yourself, "What do I want to do?" (Not just big, pesky career questions--what do you really want to do on your next day off?) See what appears; see what feels instinctively right, deep-down.

Who knows? It just might be the same answer you gave when you were a kid.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

How 'bout you? What did you love to do as a child? Does it reflect who you are now? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Tags:
creativity, figuring out what your really want to do, how to decide what career is for you, how to figure out what is next for you, mindfulness, the artistic life, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Well, here we go again: The weathermen all predicted a veritable doomsday of a blizzard, so school was cancelled the night before, morning came and...there was barely any new snow! Somehow, this always happens on the days when I have the most to do. (Funny how that works, huh?) But I wouldn't let the snow day get the upper hand--here's how I kept the kids happily occupied, while keeping my own sanity...

1. Cooking up a creative meal together. The kids are slightly obsessed with the show "Master Chef Junior" (which I fully endorse, since it has the double-benefit of making them more helpful in the kitchen and more willing to try new foods), so we whipped up a french toast breakfast buffet, complete with pomegranates, clementines, powdered sugar, chocolate coins, and syrup. (Mornings are the one time when I don't mind if the kids eat some chocolate because it gives them a little wake-up boost but won't keep them up when it's bedtime. I just pretend that we're French, eating pain au chocolat!)

2. My son asked for a "proper camera" for his recent birthday, and we were happy to oblige! So, activity #2 involved a photo shoot of our breakfast. If your kids don't have cameras, why not lend them your phone to take some snaps?

3. Swimsuits on, bath-time for the dog! Delilah hates bath-time...

...but she loves it when we dry her off!

4. My daughter had the idea to make paper dolls. For added sturdiness, we pasted them onto cereal boxes before cutting them out, and then backed them with pretty decorative paper.

Tags:
creative fun for kids, creative ideas for kids' snow days, fun things to do on snow days, homemade french toast, keeping the kids happy and occupied when you have work to do, make your own paper dolls, Master Chef Junior TV show, snow day activities, what to do when there's no school, winter fun activities for children

I don't want to alarm you, but Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away! (How did THAT happen?!) Since I'm always looking for creative ideas to bring the beauty of nature indoors, I found an abundance of GORGEOUS suggestions for Turkey Day. Even better, they're so easy, even I can do them without feeling like a total turkey (sorry, couldn't resist!). Are you ready for some crafty inspirations featuring Mother Nature? Here you go!

It's official: I'm head-over-heels in love with autumn! Even the rainy days have a certain beauty, as the colors of the leaves really shine. In the spirit of soaking up all of the fun and natural beauty the season has to offer, I rounded up five posts that feature super-easy, not-your-run-of-the-mill, ultra-creative crafts using three of the biggest stars of autumn: leaves, acorns, and pumpkins. Best of all, they're not just for kids (although I'm sure my kids will love them). I can't believe how pretty and elegant some of these designs are--wait 'til you see them!

It was so difficult for me to choose just five pretty decorating and craft ideas for fall that I ended up creating a brand-new Pinterest board dedicated to autumn crafts! You can find MANY more gorgeous ideas there, plus a few more in the Related Articles section below. Have a colorful and crafty weekend!

Oh my goodness, the LEAVES! Even Delilah can't get enough of the fall foliage, as you can see in the photograph above. The colors are so vibrant and gorgeous, it got me to thinking: Why should flowers get all of the prime real estate in the vases? So, here's how I decorated the house this week, in a completely free and effortless way: leaf bouquets!

With leaf bouquets, there's no need to change the water before it gets all gross and goopy (something I really dislike about keeping cut flowers in vases) because there is no water! When the leaves pass their peak indoors (usually, within a day or two), I just let them flutter out the front door. See? Effortless!

Do you remember in that Steve Martin movie, L.A. Story, when Mary Lou Henner's character was telling the other women that before you leave the house, you should glance in the mirror and take off one piece of jewelry? Same idea for arranging leaf bouquets: As soon as it starts looking too "decorated", take something out.

And not all of your autumn bouquets need to be orange, yellow, and red. Evergreens also look quite pretty in the fall, so you can show them some love, too!

But really, the main thing about leaf bouquets is just to have fun with them...

P.S. Don't forget to mull some hot apple cider with sliced oranges, so the whole house smells as good as it looks!

When you have a blog, it's a lot like having your own magazine, only without a staff (assuming you're not Arianna Huffington). You're the Editor-in-Chief, Art Director, Photography Department, Copy Department, Publicity Department, and Publisher, all in one.

I'm often asked how I manage to produce posts three times a week. Honestly, it's not easy! But I have found some ways to break free from writer's block (more accurately: blogger's block), and I think these tips can apply to anybody who's stuck in a creative rut and can't find the way out.

1. Take a walk. Staring at a computer screen or a blank canvas when the ideas aren't coming is not helpful. It's like the old saying: "A watched pot never boils." Get up, get out, and get a change of scenery. Fresh air and a little exercise will help your brain function better.

2.Take a power nap. I'm not talking about a three-hour nap that leaves you sleepier than when you conked out. I'm talking about a cat nap--20 minutes, tops. Set an alarm that sounds really...um...ALARMING, one that jolts you off the pillow, to get back to work.

3. Plug in to music. When I was in college and had to create studio art projects, I liked to listen to David Bowie, Kate Bush, and Talking Heads. Creative juggernauts put me in the mood to be creative myself! I still love them, but now I'm just as likely to listen to Bach's Cello Suites to put my mind in creative mode, and sometimes it's better for me to listen to music without words if I'm trying to form sentences.

4.Find unofficial mentors. (I say "unofficial" because I'm talking about people you'll probably never meet, so they won't know that you chose them.) Find two or three people whose work you admire and then research how they got to the point they're at now, paying special attention to the baby steps at the beginning. Make envy work for you!

5.The Creative Whack Pack is a great resource that helps you look at creative problems from new angles. You can get the actual deck of cards or the the app for iPhones and iPads.

6.Be a student again. Take a class that challenges you to be creative on a schedule. My friend Cathryn takes drawing e-courses regularly to stay creatively active. Along those lines, I'm happy to announce that enrollment opens TODAY (10/1/14) for my intermediate photography e-course, The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level, which will run from November 3-21.

8. Do something creative that you loved to do as a child. Color with crayons. Play the piano. Break-dance. Basically, you're giving your brain a dose of pleasure instead of thinking of the task at-hand, so you can return refreshed.

9. Take little breaks for fuel. There's a very good reason for tea-time in England!

10. Doodle. Sometimes, if you let your mind wander with a pen in your hand, you can come up with the best ideas.

Tags:
Arianna Huffington, Austin Kleon, Bach cello suites, creative insights, Creative Whack Pack, David Bowie, Edith Wharton's house The Mount, how to be creative on a schedule, how to be more creative, how to get past writer's block, Kate Bush, Scarlett O'Hara "Tomorrow is another day", Talking Heads

While I'm a tad sad (and frankly, surprised!) to see summer winding down so quickly (the leaves here are already starting to turn color), there's something about the start of a new school year, with chatty kids climbing up into big yellow buses, that always feels fresh, exciting, hopeful, and creative.

Perhaps it's all of those sharpened pencils and crisp notebooks, with wide-open pages just waiting to be doodled-up with dazzling ideas. I love a clean slate, don't you? (That must be why I've been tweaking my website--what do you think of the new banner?)

Here are five good reads for the weekend that are all about the creative life at its pure and simple best: